Ducks close regular season with victory, await playoff series with Sharks

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Arizona Coyotes’ Max Domi, left, gets shoved away from the puck by the Anaheim Ducks’ Brandon Montour during the third period of an NHL hockey game Saturday, April 7, 2018, in Glendale, Ariz. The Ducks won 3-0. (AP Photo/Darryl Webb)

Anaheim Ducks’ Adam Henrique falls on his back after scoring against Arizona Coyotes’ Antti Rannta during the first period of an NHL hockey game Saturday, April 7, 2018, in Glendale, Ariz. (AP Photo/Darryl Webb)

Anaheim Ducks’ Ryan Kesler, left, battles for the puck with Arizona Coyotes’ Alex Goligoski in front of Arizona goalie Antti Raanta during the third period of an NHL hockey game Saturday, April 7, 2018, in Glendale, Ariz. The Ducks won 3-0. (AP Photo/Darryl Webb

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Anaheim Ducks’ Rickard Rakell, left, scores against Arizona Coyotes goalie Antti Raanta during the second period of an NHL hockey game Saturday, April 7, 2018, in Glendale, Ariz. (AP Photo/Darryl Webb

Arizona Coyotes’ Clayton Keller, right, throws up some ice as he protects the puck from Anaheim Ducks’ Josh Montour during the second period of an NHL hockey game Saturday, April 7, 2018, in Glendale, Ariz. (AP Photo/Darryl Webb

Anaheim Ducks goalie Ryan Miller deflects the puck from Arizona Coyotes’ Alex Goligoski during the first period of an NHL Hockey game Saturday, April 7, 2018, in Glendale, Ariz. (AP Photo/Darryl Webb)

Arizona Coyotes’ Max Domi, left, gets shoved away from the puck by the Anaheim Ducks’ Brandon Montour during the third period of an NHL hockey game Saturday, April 7, 2018, in Glendale, Ariz. The Ducks won 3-0. (AP Photo/Darryl Webb)

Anaheim Ducks’ Brandon Montour slaps the puck down the ice away from the Arizona Coyotes’ Christian Fischer and Brendan Perlini, right, during the first period of an NHL hockey game Saturday, April 7, 2018, in Glendale, Ariz. (AP Photo/Darryl Webb)

Arizona Coyotes’ Brad Richardson (15) battles for the puck with the Anaheim Ducks’ Hampus Lindholm (47) during the third period of an NHL hockey game Saturday, April 7, 2018, in Glendale, Ariz. The Ducks won 3-0. (AP Photo/Darryl Webb

Arizona Coyotes goalie Antti Rannta blocks a shot by the Anaheim Ducks during the first period of an NHL hockey game Saturday, April 7, 2018, in Glendale, Ariz. (AP Photo/Darryl Webb)

Arizona Coyotes’ Brendan Perlini slips past Anaheim Ducks’ Josh Manson and Derek Grant, right, during the second period of an NHL hockey game Saturday, April 7, 2018, in Glendale, Ariz. (AP Photo/Darryl Webb

Arizona Coyotes’ Max Domi, right, controls the puck as he skates by the Anaheim Ducks’ Andy Welinski during the third period of an NHL hockey game Saturday, April 7, 2018, in Glendale, Ariz. The Ducks won 3-0. (AP Photo/Darryl Webb)

Anaheim Ducks’ Ryan Kesler (17), Ryan Miller (30), Francois Beauchemin (23) and Adam Henrique (14) congratulate Hampus Lindholm (47) for an empty-net goal in the final seconds of an NHL hockey game against the Arizona Coyotes on Saturday, April 7, 2018, in Glendale, Ariz. The Ducks won 3-0. (AP Photo/Darryl Webb)

Anaheim Ducks captain Ryan Getzlaf (15) congratulates Ryan Miller on their shutout win over the Arizona Coyotes in an NHL hockey game Saturday, April 7, 2018, in Glendale, Ariz. The Ducks won 3-0. (AP Photo/Darryl Webb)

GLENDALE, Ariz. – Six players who were going to have prominent roles on the Ducks were dressed in tailored suits instead of jerseys on an October night at Honda Center. And the injury bug continues to bite mercilessly at them during the challenging season’s early months.

It all started with an improbable comeback win over Arizona and the 82-game grind ended Saturday night with a 3-0 win over the same Coyotes, giving them 101 points that includes a sixth straight appearance in the Stanley Cup playoffs. And it’s a feat that might have seemed improbable several months ago.

“It’s kind of crazy to think that way, where we’ve come from,” Ducks coach Randy Carlyle said. “But we had a plan and we tried to execute a plan. I’m not standing here saying it was perfect by any means. We had lots of speed bumps along the way.

“But, again, it’s about trying to garner points and move up the standings. We knew we were going to be challenged right from day one. We’ve kind of got our group together here over the last six weeks. And we’ve played good enough hockey to gain points.”

Other than swap out a couple of fourth-line forwards, Carlyle trotted out all his regulars and didn’t hide his intentions. It didn’t matter if his game started before the Kings hosted Dallas or San Jose faced Minnesota and that he would not know the final result of either when the Ducks left Gila River Arena.

If home-ice advantage was possible in the first round of the Stanley Cup playoffs, why not go for it? They did, and they’ll host San Jose in Game 1 of a best-of-7 opening-round series at Honda Center on either Wednesday or Thursday.

Sunday was to be their day of rest. The Ducks (44-25-13) closed their schedule with five straight wins and a 10-1-1 mark over the final 12 contests. They’re the only team in the NHL to have 100 points in each of the last five seasons.

“Hopefully we’re trending up and we continue to trend up,” Carlyle said. “Because there’s some areas of our game that we need to definitely improve on. In order for us to have long-term success in the playoffs, we’re going to have to make sure that we’re at the top of our game in all areas.”

The Ducks entered Saturday in third place in the Pacific Division, one point ahead of the Kings as their rivals held the Western Conference’s first wild-card spot. And that means they’ll Vegas, which captured the Pacific in its history-shattering expansion season.

Meanwhile, the Ducks and Sharks collide in the second playoff series between the teams and first since 2009 when Anaheim pulled off a six-game upset as an eight seed over the Presidents’ Trophy winners that had 53 wins and 117 points.

While their opponent remained in doubt after congratulating each other on the ice, the Ducks weren’t about to declare a preference.

“I think all the teams that we could possibly face, we know them all pretty well,” Ducks winger Rickard Rakell said. “We’ll see what we’re going to get and try to do the best of it.”

Said Miller: “Every team that makes it has had long stretches of good hockey. We’ll see how it goes.”

As far as Saturday, the Ducks closed on a high note with a few milestones attained. Miller bounced back from a so-so effort Friday against Dallas by stopping 30 saves in a sharp performance for his fourth shutout of the season and 43rd of his career.

The Ducks signed Miller to a two-year contract as a free agent last summer in seeking an upgrade over Jonathan Bernier to back up John Gibson. The 37-year-old has instilled nothing but confidence in the brass, particularly in the times he has had to step in for Gibson when their No. 1 goalie was injury.

That is the case now as Gibson has not played since having to leave a game against Colorado after being run into. Miller got his 370th career victory and that moved him past Tom Barrasso into second place all-time among American-born goalies. John Vanbiesbrouck is first with 374.

“It’s pretty cool,” Miller said. “A former Sabre. Definitely somebody I looked up to. He and Vanbiesbrouck are – my age as a kid looking at guys playing — it’s those guys. Tremendous players. I’m just happy to be still playing meaningful hockey and getting some wins. That’s the thing that means the most.”

Adam Henrique scored on the power play in the first period and Rickard Rakell added a goal at even strength in the second. In the case of Rakell, it was his team-leading 34th of the season to top last year’s total in a breakout 2016-17 campaign.

Henrique got his 20th with the Ducks since the Nov. 30 trade General Manager Bob Murray pulled off to get him from New Jersey for defenseman Sami Vatanen. Corey Perry got an assist on the center’s score for the 400th of his career.

Never dominating at any point, the Ducks simply persevered through 318 man-games lost that includes Cam Fowler being out for the first round due to a shoulder injury. Gibson is a question mark, while defenseman Kevin Bieksa is recovering from hand surgery. A muscle disorder sidelined Patrick Eaves virtually all season.

“I wasn’t there at the very start of the year when everything was happening,” Henrique said. “To come in and help the team get through that stretch was big. … The goal from the start was to make the playoffs and give ourselves a chance. With all the injuries, it says a lot for the group.”

Hampus Lindholm added an empty-net goal. It became his 30th point of the season, marking the first time in Ducks history that they’ve had four defenseman reach that point total as Lindholm joined Fowler, Brandon Montour and Josh Manson.